Oil burner



July23, 1940. HQFAULKNER 2,209,076

OIL BURNER Filed July 11, 1938 Zhmentor Herschel C. F'au/lencr- 8g d7 (Ittomegs Patented July 23, 1940 E T! FF OIL BURNER.

Herschel 0. Faulkner, Birmingham, Ala., assignor of one-half to J. W. Love, Monroe,

Application July 11, 1938 Serial No. 218,598

4 Claims.

This invention relates to hydrocarbon burners, particularly to oil burners of that type embodying a burner member through which the oil is fed to be burned on its surface, and an air mani- 5 fold discharging heated air downwardly onto the burner member, and has for an object the provision of apparatus of the character designated which shall include an improved burner member with fuel* discharge orifices so directed as to afford the highest efficiency in preheating the air for combustion, and which shall also afford an improved surface for burning the fuel.

A further object of my invention is to' provide a hydrocarbon burner of the character designated in which there is embodied improved means for regulating the flow of air through the manifold.

,A still further object of my invention is to provide a hydrocarbon burner which :shall be simple and economical of design, and reliable in operation.

Briefly, my invention comprises a burner of the type in which the fuel is burned on the surface of a burner member which is supplied with a downward current of heated air for combustion, tlnnugh a manifold. The manifold in this type of burner is more or less heated by the surrounding flame, and in my improved burner I provide fuel discharge orifices which are directed toward the base of the manifold whereby the flame is concentrated on the lower part thereof and improved preheating results. I have also discovered that combustion in burners of this type may be improved by providing means to admit a regulated amount of surrounding gases tothe manifold between its regular intake and the discharge thereof. This is particularly true where the burner is located in a stove or furnace connected to a flue providing an especially strong draft. I also provide an improved burner member with means afiording an even film of oil over the surface whereby improved combustion results.

The above mentioned, and other important features of my invention, are illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of my improved burner taken along the line II of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken along the line II II of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the burner member of my improved burner viewed in the direction of the arrows IlIIII of Fig.1; and l 1 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line IVIV'of Fig. l.

1 Referring to the drawing fora better understanding of my invention, my improved oil burner comprises abase H], which may be of cast iron, formed with an outer flange II. On the bottom of the base, I provide a plurality of bars l2 having longitudinal slots l3 therein which are adjustably held in place beneath the base ll] by meansnof studs l lpassing through the slots, the purpose of the. slotted bars being to engage the side walls or supports in a stove or furnace (not shown) to support the burner in operation in a manner well understood. The bars l2 being adjustable,-the base I0 is adapted to be installed in various sizes of stoves and furnaces.

The base ID has formed therein spaced air openings 16 and I1, enlarged near their upper ends to provide shoulders l8 and [9. An air manifold 2| is disposed centrally above the base and has downwardly extending arms 22 and 23 fitting into the openings I6 and H with their ends resting on the shoulders l8 and I9 whereby to form a continuous passage upwardly through the manifold. The manifold has a downwardly directed discharge opening 24 therein, through which the air passing upwardly through the arms 22 and 23 is discharged. It will also be noted that the arms 22 and 23 are each curved round and inwardly at 26 and 21 so as to provide a minimum of resistance to the air flow on its way to the discharge 24 where the air from the two arms is commingled. Reinforcing rings 28 and 29 may be provided around the lower end of the arms 22 and 23 of the manifold 2| where they connect to the openings l6 and IT. A reinforcing rib 25. joins the uppendownwardly curved portions of the manifold arms 22 and 23.

Formed in the base, centrally thereof, is a receptacle 3| having a groove 32 therein in which there is placed asbestos wicking 33, or other suitable non-combustible porous material to collect oil and be ignited when starting the burner. Centrally of the receptacle 3| and directly beneath the discharge opening 24 of the manifold is a conical burner member 3,4 having, near its upper end, a horizontal shoulder 36 so as to provide a reduced upperconical portion 31. Extending spirally about the burner member 34 and beginning at the horizontal shoulder 36 is a grooved shoulder 38 which terminates at the bottom in a deeper groove 35 surrounding the baseof the burner. member. 'Oilfor combustion is supplied upwardly through the center of the burner memher from a pipe 39 through a central passage 55 the heated air and ignites.

thus provide improved preheating of the air for combustion.

In starting the burner, fuel is supplied through the pipe 39 and discharges through the fuel discharge orifices 42 and 43. When' the burner'is cold the oil flows down the conical burner member 34 following the spiral groove in the shoulder 38 in a regular path so that there-is'no accumu lation of oil on the burner member in such a way that it would burn incompletely and cause smoke. Oil may fill-the groove 35 and the excess oilrun over into the receptacle 3|; A drain pipe 40 connects to an openingextending upwardly through the bottom of the base so that only sufficient oil is allowed to gather in the receptacle 3| to start the burner in operation. The

oil is ignited on the wicking 33 and immediately begins to heat the manifold 2|. Assoon as the manifold'beoomes heated, it induces a draft-of air through the arms 22 and Hand the air, preheated in the manifold, is discharged downwardly onto the burner member 34. When the burner member 34 is heatedsufilciently, it vaporizes the oil in the groove 35, which mixes with From then on the oil is vaporized on the heated burner member as it is discharged through the orifices 42 and. 43 and the burner operates like a gas burner with vaporized oil. When the air discharged through the opening 24 strikes the upper end of the conical burner member 34, it mixes with the oil being discharged through the diametral openings 42 and 43, and the spiral protuberance 38 on the burner member causes the air coming in contact therewith to assumea spiral path and effectively burn the oil. 1 I

My improved burner is adapted to be fitted into and form a part of various stoves, furnaces and boilers with various types and sizes of fiues having more or less intense draft. The burner is accordingly designed to operate with-a minimum of draft and, as designed, when associated with certain stoves or furnaces, the draft might be too intense through the manifold 2| for the best combustion. I have accordingly provided a means for regulating the air supply through the manifold to suit whatever condition may be encountered. This is accomplished by providing openings 44in the depending arm 22, above the base, and similar openings 46 in the depending arm 23. Over the openings 44 and 46 I place check draft members 41 and 48 which are adjustable by' means of screws 49 and 5lto admit more or less air or surrounding gas into the manifold arms above the base, thus reducing the flow of air through the base openings Hi and H. The-set screws 49 and 5| are set and adjusted when the burner is first installed and require ,no further attention as long as it is in service. My improved burner is thus adapted tobe installed and operated under widely varying conditions of draft.

I My improved burner is 'equally efficient, in burning gas, as in burning oil, although it is primarily. designed as an oil burner. From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have devised an improved hydrocarbon burner which includes im proved means for insuring complete combustion of the fuel and for regulating the draft.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of variouschanges and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth inthe appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a hydrocarbon burner, a base having spacedairiopenings and a central conical burner member providing a burning surface, an air manifold having downwardly extending air intake arms-connected to the openings in the base and having a downward discharge opening above the burner member, a horizontal shoulder on the .burnenmember near the top thereof, means at the shoulder forming horizontally disposed fuel discharge orifices in the ,burner member directed toward the lower part of the manifold arms, means to supply fuel to the burner member, and means to. admit a predetermined amount of ,combustion products to each of the manifold arms at a point between the base and the junction of the ar1n whe reby air so admitted is highly preheated before striking the burner member.

, 2;,In a hydrocarbon burner, a base having spaced air openings and a central conical burner member providing a [burning surface, an air manifold having downwardly extending arms connected to the openings in the base and having a downward discharge opening above the burner member, a horizontal shoulder on the burner member near the top thereof, means at the shoulder forming horizontally disposed fuel discharge orifices in the burner member directed toward the manifold arms, means to supply fuel to the. burner member, and adjustable combusjtio'nproducts. admission means in the manifold arms at a point above the base and between the lower. ends of the arms and the downward discharge opening. n I

"'31 In a hydrocarbon burner, a base having a pair, offspaced air openings, an air manifold havdown'wardly'extending arms connected tothe openingsin' the base, the upper portions of said arms being curved inwardly and downwardly toward" a central downward discharge opening where'the air in said arms is commingled, a conical .burner element providing a burning surface disposed centrally beneath the discharge opening andhaving horizontally disposed slightly diverging fuel discharge orifices therein effective to direct "the major portion of the burning fuel towar'd'the lower ends of the manifold arms, means to supply fuel'upwardly through the burner elemerit to be discharged through the orifices, and adjustable inlets on each of said arms between thelower ends thereof and the point of inward and "downward curvature to admit predetermined amounts of highly heated combustion products to's'aid manifold. i

4. In. a hydrocarbon burner, a base having a pair of spaced air openings, an air manifold having'downwardly extending arms connected, to the openings in the base, the upper portions of said arms being curved inwardly and downwardly toward a central downward discharge opening where'theair insaid arms is commingled, a reinforcing rib joining the inwardly and downwardly curved portions of the manifold arms, a conical burner element disposed centrally beneath the discharge opening of the manifold, a shoulder near the upper end of the burner element, means forming horizontally disposed slightly diverging fuel discharge orifices at the shoulder adapted to direct the major portion of the fuel toward the lower ends of the manifold arms, a spiral grooved shoulder on the burner element from the horizontal shoulder to the base thereof, means forming a groove at the base of the burner element, means to supply fuel centrally and upwardly through the burner element to be discharged through the orifices, and adjustable inlets on each of said arms between the lower ends thereof and the point of inward and downward curvature to admit predetermined amounts of highly heated combustion products to said manifold.

HERSCHEL C. FAULKNER. 

